99-561: Harry Seidler AC OBE (25 June 1923 – 9 March 2006) was an Austrian-born Australian architect who is considered to be one of the leading exponents of Modernism 's methodology in Australia and the first architect to fully express the principles of the Bauhaus in Australia. Seidler designed about 119 buildings (96 of which were in his home state of New South Wales) but some have since been demolished or altered in
198-643: A Paris office) and Seidler was Breuer's project architect for the Torin Factory in Penrith NSW in the 1970s. Seidler commissioned Josef Albers artworks for MLC Centre in the mid-1970s. Seidler also maintained a close friendship with Oscar Niemeyer through letters and visits to Rio de Janeiro. Gropius' teachings had a big influence on Seidler. Gropius taught that Modernism was not a style but a methodology of approach which will vary according to different regions and climates. Seidler too insisted that Modernism
297-546: A building which would have been very difficult to achieve any other way." While some commentators label Seidler's use of (unpainted) off-form concrete in the 1960s and 1970s as "brutalist" (from the French 'beton brut'), Seidler disowned the term as he was critical of British Brutalists as "pathetic imitations of Le Corbusier. The heavy monolithic structures of the 'brutalists', were the opposite of Seidler's visual aesthetic of transparency and lightness and being able to look through
396-561: A challenge to take the prime ministership in September 2015. Two months after coming into office, the new republican prime minister announced that the Queen had approved his request to amend the Order's letters patent and cease awards at this level. Existing titles would not be affected. The move was attacked by monarchists and praised by republicans. The amendments to the constitution of
495-559: A high centre of gravity were more dynamic than solid earth bound designs – which is why Seidler used (for non-tower designs) "cantilevered slabs hovering in mid-air which seem to 'negate' the fact that mass is something solid and heavy". Seidler would claim "aesthetically we want dematerialisation". Seidler, following Albers, also shunned traditional symmetry or grid-like modern designs as static (and thus dull), instead Seidler "offset" opposing elements to create "scintillation" and "visual tension" to be more visually dynamic and thus interesting to
594-551: A major museum with similar roof construction, was ordered permanently closed 21 June 2024 because of severely deteriorated roof panels dating from its opening in 1969. While repair options were proposed, the centre's ultimate owner, the provincial government of Ontario , had previously announced plans to relocate the centre and therefore requested the facility be closed immediately rather than paying for repairs. Approximately 400 other public buildings in Ontario are understood to contain
693-589: A member of the British Empire, members of the colonies and later federated nation of Australia were able to have achievement awarded under the British Imperial Honours system . However, existing criticism of the aristocratic nature of the awards grew following a cash-for-honours corruption scandal in the UK in 1922. Moves to abolish the awards federally and the states were unsuccessful; however
792-676: A mix of influences from four great modern masters under whom he studied or worked with: Walter Gropius, Marcel Breuer, (artist) Josef Albers and Oscar Niemeyer. Seidler maintained relationships with his four mentors even after he came to Australia. Seidler was instrumental in having Walter Gropius address the RAIA Convention in Sydney in 1954. Seidler collaborated with Marcel Breuer for the Australian Embassy in Paris (as Breuer had
891-477: A non-Seidler manner, and he received much recognition for his contribution to the architecture of Australia . Seidler consistently won architectural awards every decade throughout his Australian career of almost 58 years across the varied categories – his residential work from 1950, his commercial work from 1964, and his public commissions from the 1970s. He was a controversial figure throughout his long career as he regularly publicly criticised planning authorities and
990-646: A polymer-modified stucco or plaster compound, or a covering of siding materials such as natural or manufactured stone, veneer brick , metal or vinyl siding . AAC materials can be routed, sanded, or cut to size on-site using a hand saw and standard power tools with carbon steel cutters. Autoclaved aerated concrete is also known by various other names, including autoclaved cellular concrete (ACC), autoclaved concrete , cellular concrete , porous concrete , Aircrete , Thermalite , Hebel , Aercon , Starken , Gasbeton , Airbeton , Durox , Siporex (silicon pore expansion), Suporex , H+H and Ytong . AAC
1089-585: A representation of the states (with whom Whitlam's government was constantly in dispute) through the state badges within the Commonwealth Coat of Arms . The original three-level structure of the Order of Australia was modelled closely upon the Order of Canada , though the Order of Australia has been awarded rather more liberally, especially in regard to honorary awards to non-citizens. As of July 2024 only 30 non-Canadians have been appointed to
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#17327905213321188-607: A roofing collapse, other buildings were found to have issues with their RAAC construction, with some of these only being discovered to have been made from RAAC during the crisis. During the 2023 crisis, it was observed that it was likely for RAAC in other countries to exhibit problems similar to those found in the United Kingdom. The original site of the Ontario Science Centre in Toronto, Canada,
1287-527: Is a concrete-based material used for both exterior and interior construction. One of its advantages is quick and easy installation because the material can be routed , sanded, or cut to size on-site using a hand saw and standard power tools with carbon steel cutters. AAC is well suited for high-rise buildings and those with high temperature variations. Due to its lower density, high-rise buildings constructed using AAC require less steel and concrete for structural members. The mortar needed for laying AAC blocks
1386-434: Is a registered charity, whose stated purpose is "[t]o celebrate and promote outstanding Australian citizenship". It also supports the "community and social activities" of members and promotes and encourages the nomination of other Australians to the Order. The Order also runs a foundation that provides scholarships to tertiary students that show potential as future leaders and are involved in community activities. Branches of
1485-431: Is a temptation with the seeing of things that are not entirely apparent, the tantalising sense of the beyond which you in fact are denied and which entices a person to move through and try and explore an interior." In 1991, Seidler acknowledged that his first house (Rose Seidler House) which was built of timber, despite the north facing sunshades "is generally too vulnerable to temperature changes...I didn't fully appreciate
1584-450: Is an interpenetration of space and spatial flow between hovering planes which creates "an openness which is so much more subtle than it is when it's totally open and which is so often done" "Architecture in recent times has been immensely concerned about this idiom of the exploitation of the interior space which involves this simultaneous viewing of things, the channeling of vistas between its elements. ... As Le Corbusier has said, 'Instead of
1683-790: Is composed of quartz sand , calcined gypsum , lime , portland cement , water and aluminium powder . AAC products are cured under heat and pressure in an autoclave . Developed in the mid-1920s, AAC provides insulation, fire, and mold -resistance. Forms include blocks, wall panels, floor and roof panels, cladding (façade) panels and lintels. It is also an insulator. AAC products see use in construction, such as industrial buildings, residential houses, apartment buildings, and townhouses. Their applications include exterior and interior walls, firewalls, wet room walls, diffusion-open thermal insulation boards, intermediate floors, upper floors, stairs, opening crossings, beams and pillars. Exterior uses require an applied finish to guard against weathering, such as
1782-414: Is five times less than the production of other building materials. There is no loss of raw materials in the production process, and all production waste is returned to the production cycle. Production of aerated concrete requires less energy than for all other masonry products, thereby reducing the use of fossil fuels and associated carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions. The curing process also saves energy, as
1881-473: Is issued with each badge of the order at the time of investiture; AK/AD and AC lapel pins feature a citrine central jewel, AO and AM lapel pins have a blue enamelled centre and OAM lapel pins are plain. The different levels of the order are awarded according to the recipients' levels of achievement: Since 1976 any Australian citizen may nominate any person for an Order of Australia award. People who are not Australian citizens may be awarded honorary membership of
1980-563: Is likely to feel a bit second-rate, and the public is likely to agree. We hate to be the first to say it, but there is no doubt that the Order of Australia (OA) will be labelled as the Ocker Award. Satire and mockery also greeted the awards, being dubbed "Gough’s Gongs" and "the Order of the Wombat". The newly elected Liberal Fraser government decided to once again make recommendations for imperial awards, whilst maintaining and expanding
2079-426: Is made (possible) by devices such as pre-stressed concrete which is ...economic and quick. And that also gives you greater freedom of the shapes that you can use. Nowadays we can span huge distances and to do so (by) not just putting steel mesh or something into the concrete but to put steel, high tensile steel wire into it and pull it tight and that makes it easy to span distances and give this kind of change of shape of
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#17327905213322178-407: Is mixed and cast in forms, aluminium powder reacts with calcium hydroxide and water to form hydrogen . The hydrogen gas foams and doubles the volume of the raw mix creating gas bubbles up to 3 millimetres ( 1 ⁄ 8 in) in diameter—it has been described as having bubbles inside like "a chocolate Aero bar ". At the end of the foaming process, the hydrogen escapes into the atmosphere and
2277-424: Is often caused by RAAC's high susceptibility to water infiltration due to its porous nature, which causes corrosion of internal reinforcements in ways that are hard to detect. This places increased tensile stress on the bond between the reinforcement and concrete, lowering the material's service life. Detailed risk analyses are required on a structure-by-structure basis to identify areas in need of maintenance and lower
2376-429: Is produced using no aggregate larger than sand. Quartz sand (SiO 2 ), calcined gypsum, lime (mineral) and/or cement and water are used as a binding agent. Aluminum powder is used at a rate of 0.05%–0.08% by volume (depending on the pre-specified density). In some countries, like India and China, fly ash generated from coal-fired power plants , and having 50–65% silica content, is used as an aggregate. When AAC
2475-417: Is reduced due to the lower number of joints. Similarly, less material is required for rendering, because AAC can be shaped precisely before installation. Even though regular cement mortar can be used, most buildings that use AAC materials use thin bed mortar in thicknesses around 3.2 millimetres ( 1 ⁄ 8 in), depending on the national building codes. Unlike most other concrete applications, AAC
2574-612: Is replaced by air, leaving a product as light as 20% of the weight of conventional concrete. When the forms are removed from the material, it is solid but still soft. It is then cut into either blocks or panels and placed in an autoclave chamber for 12 hours. During this steam pressure hardening process, when the temperature reaches 190 °C (374 °F) and the pressure reaches 800 to 1,200 kPa (8.0 to 12.0 bar; 120 to 170 psi), quartz sand reacts with calcium hydroxide to form calcium silicate hydrate , which gives AAC its high strength and other unique properties. Because of
2673-488: The Australian Labor Party remained opposed and generally refused to recommend awards whilst in office, with this a part of the party's platform since 1918. This was confirmed in a resolution adopted unanimously by the party conference in 1921. However, the non-Labor parties remained supportive, with the long running Menzies government making significant use of the imperial system. The Order of Australia
2772-764: The Royal Gold Medal by the Royal Institute of British Architects in 1996. For 50 years Harry Seidler has played a vital role in international architecture. His work is widely recognised as an original and intensely creative contribution to the architecture of the second half of the 20th century. Harry Seidler became a Canadian citizen when he was studying in the USA in late 1945. He travelled to Australia in 1948 on his Canadian passport (which he collected in mid-1946). By 1958, he had lived in Australia for ten years, and then sought to renew his Canadian passport but
2871-654: The University of Sydney and joined Seidler and Associates in 1964 as architect and financial manager. She co-designed the Harry & Penelope Seidler House in Killara (suburb of Sydney) which won the NSW Wilkinson award of 1967. On 24 April 2005, Seidler suffered a stroke from which he never fully recovered, and died from septicaemia in Sydney on 9 March 2006 at age 82. Seidler said the term "International Style"
2970-514: The 1970s and 1980s, Seidler used the geometry of the quadrant which connects the straight line to the curve and allowed for structural beams of the same size spanning across the radius of the quadrant. This is seen in Seidler's design for the Australian Embassy in Paris and Karralyka (previously called Ringwood Cultural) Centre. Seidler saw parallels of good modern architecture with the underlying structural geometry of baroque architecture, especially
3069-529: The 1980s and later, as well as developments in steel technology that allowed for curved roofs in the 1990s onwards (e.g. Berman House). Seidler is on record (in 1980) as stating that Oscar Niemeyer's interior of the Boavista Bank in Rio of 1946 (which Seidler would have seen in 1948) with its interacting curves must have influenced Seidler's use of interacting curves in exterior playground and retainer walls from
Harry Seidler - Misplaced Pages Continue
3168-543: The 1980s, Seidler often incorporated plans with flamboyant curves (e.g. Hannes House, Hong Kong Club) and some commentators have labelled this as the start of Seidler's "baroque" period. Seidler's visual approach to two-dimensional and three-dimensional spatial arrangement was consistent throughout his whole career and reflected what Seidler learnt from his visual aesthetics teacher Josef Albers. Seidler stated he learnt more about design from Albers than he did at any architecture school. Albers stated that designs which visually had
3267-474: The 435 people who have received the nation's top Order of Australia honours since they were first awarded in 1975, shows they disproportionately attended a handful of elite Victorian secondary schools. Scotch College alumni received the highest number of awards, with 19 former students receiving Australia's [then] highest honour". On 26 January 1980 the Order of Australia Association was created as an incorporated body with membership open to award recipients. It
3366-813: The AAC was used. This problem was addressed in 1972 by the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority, and by 1975, Ytong abandoned alum shale in favor of a formulation made from quartz sand, calcined gypsum, lime (mineral), cement, water and aluminium powder currently in use by most major brands. In 1978, Siporex Sweden opened the Siporex Factory in Saudi Arabia , establishing the Lightweight Construction Company - Siporex - LCC SIPOREX, targeting markets in
3465-635: The Australia Square tower ground lobby to display tapestries by Le Corbusier and Victor Vasarely – these were replaced in late 2003 by the Sol LeWitt mural. Seidler also selected and paid for Australian artworks to be shipped in 1977 to be ready to be displayed for the opening of the Australian Embassy in Paris in early 1978. As Paul Bartizan indicates in his obituary tribute to Seidler, these works of art were not mere ' plop art '; they were really planned to be integrated with and complementary to
3564-746: The Middle East, Africa, and Japan. This factory was still in use in 2018. Today, the production of AAC is widespread, concentrated in Europe and Asia with some facilities located in the Americas. Egypt has the sole manufacturing plant in Africa. Although the European AAC market has seen a reduction in growth, Asia is experiencing a rapid expansion in the industry, driven by an escalating need for residential and commercial spaces. Currently, China has
3663-418: The Order of Australia and the award of 199 Honorary Medals of the Order of Australia. Notable honorary awards include: Since 1975, just over 30 per cent of recipients of an Order of Australia honour have been women. The number of nominations and awards for women is trending up, with the 2023 Australia Day Honours resulting in the highest percentage of awards for women to date (47.1 per cent, 47.9 per cent in
3762-597: The Order of Australia. This was done by with the addition of two additional award levels: Knight or Dame (AK or AD) above the level of Companion, and the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) below Members. The Civil Division was also renamed the General Division, so that awards could be given to those in the Defence Force for non-military achievement. These changes were made on 24 May 1976. The reaction to
3861-486: The Order of Canada, while 537 non-Australians have been appointed to the Order of Australia, with 46 to the Companion level. Public reaction to the new awards was mixed. Only the state Labor governments of Tasmania and South Australia agreed to submit recommendations for the new awards, with the remaining governments affirming their committent to the existing imperial honours system. Newspaper editorials similarly praised
3960-498: The Order were gazetted on 22 December 2015. Yvonne Kenny AM represented the Order at the 2023 Coronation . King Charles III , when he was Prince of Wales , was appointed a Knight of the Order of Australia (AK) on 14 March 1981. As he is not an Australian citizen, even though he was the heir to the Australian throne at the time, this would have required the award to be honorary. To overcome this issue, his appointment
4059-594: The Order would be determined by the Council of the Order of Australia. Awards of the Order of Australia are sometimes made to people who are not citizens of Australia to honour extraordinary achievements. These achievements, or the people themselves, are not necessarily associated with Australia, although they often are. On 1 July 2024, the Australian Honours website listed appointments for 46 Honorary Companions, 118 Honorary Officers, 174 Honorary Members of
Harry Seidler - Misplaced Pages Continue
4158-441: The Queen to reinstate the level of knight or dame and the Queen co-signed letters patent to bring this into effect. The change was publicly announced on 25 March, and gazetted on 17 April 2014. Up to four knights or dames could be appointed each year, by the Queen of Australia on the advice of the prime minister after consultation with the chairman of the Order of Australia Council. Five awards of knight and dame were then made, to
4257-549: The Riverside Centre in Brisbane. Seidler learnt from Gropius (as one of the 3 required elements of good architecture) to devise efficient "systems" for constructing buildings – other than for individual houses, this involved "making things easy to build in accordance with a system that allows repetition of identical elements". This is why Kenneth Frampton labelled Seidler's non-house designs "isostatic architecture". In
4356-623: The Second World War. In Europe, it gained popularity in the mid-1950s as a cheaper and more lightweight alternative to conventional reinforced concrete, with documented widespread use in a number of European countries as well as Japan and former territories of the British Empire. RAAC was used in roof, floor and wall construction due to its lighter weight and lower cost compared to traditional concrete, and has good fire resistance properties; it does not require plastering to achieve good fire resistance and fire does not cause spalls . RAAC
4455-492: The Sydney climate and harbour views, Seidler decided to stay in Australia. The Rose Seidler House became a house-museum in 1991. In 1952, Seidler successfully appealed against Ku-ring-gai council's refusal to approve his design of a 'glass house' at Roseville. In the 1960s Seidler again broke new ground with his design for the Australia Square project (first designs 1961, plaza building 1962–64, tower 1964–67). At
4554-596: The United States. AAC is increasingly used worldwide by developers. Reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) is a reinforced version of autoclaved aerated concrete, commonly used in roofing and wall construction. The first structural reinforced roof and floor panels were manufactured in Sweden, soon after the first autoclaved aerated concrete block plant started up there in 1929, but Belgian and German technologies became market leaders for RAAC elements after
4653-471: The advice of then prime minister Gough Whitlam . Before the establishment of the order, Australians could receive British honours , which continued to be issued in parallel until 1992. Appointments to the order are made by the governor-general , "with the approval of The Sovereign", according to recommendations made by the Council for the Order of Australia . Members of the government are not involved in
4752-564: The age of 21) became a registered architect in Ontario , in February 1945. Although he was ten years old when the Bauhaus was closed, Seidler's analysts invariably associate him with the Bauhaus because he later studied under emigrant Bauhaus teachers in the USA. He attended Harvard Graduate School of Design under Walter Gropius and Marcel Breuer on a scholarship in 1945/46, and during
4851-460: The architect Oscar Niemeyer . Seidler's parents migrated to Sydney in 1946, and (while he was working for Breuer in New York) in late 1947 or early 1948, his mother wrote to him to commission him to come to Sydney to design their home. Seidler arrived in Sydney on (likely) 20 June 1948 (which was a few days before his 25th birthday), with no intention to remain in Australia, but to stay only until
4950-824: The architecture through the voids through the various architectural spaces. In the 1960s and 70s Seidler worked with the Italian structural engineer Pier Luigi Nervi for the design of the Australia Square and MLC Centre office towers, in Sydney, the Edmund Barton Building (formerly called Trade Group Offices) in Canberra, and the Australian Embassy in Paris in the 1970s. the same Nervi- designed T beams were used by Seidler in his own Seidler Office building in Milsons Point (Sydney) completed in 1973. Seidler later worked with Nervi's successor Mario Desideri for
5049-510: The association are in all the states and territories of Australia as well as the UK and the USA. Total inductees as of July 2024 . The order of wearing Australian and other approved honours is determined by the government. The award is parodied in the play Amigos , where the central character is determined to be awarded the AC, and uses persuasion, bribery and blackmail in his (ultimately successful) attempts to get himself nominated for
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#17327905213325148-502: The award to Prince Philip in a ReachTEL poll. The Australian Labor Party continued to oppose knighthoods and damehoods. Leader of the opposition Bill Shorten stated in March 2014 that the party would again discontinue the level if it were to win the next Australian federal election. The knighthood decision was a significant factor that caused Liberal party members to question Abbott's leadership, with Malcolm Turnbull succeeding in
5247-410: The award. During the 1996 season of the popular television programme Home and Away , the character Pippa Ross was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for her years of service as a foster carer. Light weight concrete Autoclaved aerated concrete ( AAC ) is a lightweight, precast, cellular concrete building material, eco-friendly, suitable for producing concrete-like blocks . It
5346-411: The awards as an example of Australia's greater independence, whilst also noting that the awards would likely appear second-rate. The Australian stated that There is no longer a British Empire; everyone knows that. But somehow the phrase "imperial honours" still carries a ring of regal authenticity that somehow transcends nationalism. For the time being a recipient ... of the Order of Australia
5445-433: The buildings into which they were placed: "In many of his projects, Seidler worked with artists whose works became an intrinsic component of his designs." Companion of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an Australian honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II , Queen of Australia , on
5544-404: The centre an enamelled disc bearing an image of the coat of arms of Australia . The colours of royal blue and gold are taken from the livery colours of the Commonwealth Coat of Arms , the then national colours . The star for knights and dames is a convex golden disc decorated with citrines, with a blue royally crowned inner disc bearing an image of the coat of arms of Australia. The ribbon of
5643-573: The chance of catastrophic failure. Professional engineering concern about the structural performance of RAAC was first publicly raised in the United Kingdom in 1995 following inspections of cracked units in British school roofs, and was subsequently reinforced in 2022 when the Government Property Agency declared the material to be life-expired, and in 2023 when, following the partial or total closure of 174 schools at risk of
5742-519: The changes to the awards were similarly split along party lines. Following the 1983 federal election , Labor Prime Minister Bob Hawke recommitted to the end of recommendations for imperial awards. No knighthoods were awarded during his first term in office and he advised the abolition of the knight/dame level after being re-elected in 1986. During the time the division was active from 1976 to 1983, twelve knights and two dames were created. On 19 March 2014, monarchist prime minister Tony Abbott advised
5841-619: The compressive strength of regular concrete. In 1978, the first AAC material factory - the LCC Siporex- Lightweight Construction Company - was opened in the Persian Gulf state of Saudi Arabia , supplying Gulf Cooperation Council countries with aerated blocks and panels. Since 1980, there has been a worldwide increase in the use of AAC materials. New production plants are being built in Australia, Bahrain , China, Eastern Europe , India and
5940-432: The designs of Italian architect Francesco Borromini (which was illustrated in the book Space, Time & Architecture by Sigfried Gidieon which Seidler read as an architecture student). Seidler's designs from 1969 onwards often displayed opposing negative and positive quarter-circle curves (e.g. retaining garden walls of Pettit & Sevitt exhibition house, Westleigh, 1969, and Condominium Apartments, Acapulco 1969–70). From
6039-463: The exception of awards recommended by the soon to be independent government of the Territory of Papua and New Guinea ); however this did not affect the constitutional right of state governments to recommend imperial awards. According to the governor general's then-secretary Sir David Smith , Whitlam was furious when he first saw Devlin's design for the insignia of the order, due to the inclusion of
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#17327905213326138-399: The eye and the mind being abruptly halted by edges and containing surfaces, as had been the case in the past, they are now laid continuously on an exploration, never quite comprehending the mystery of layered and veiled space'." Seidler says of the design for his Gissing House: "in three dimensions, the fact that the eye is always tempted to look beyond and never quite experiencing it all. There
6237-675: The eye can never see an end, you are always intrigued what's beyond, you can always see something floating into the distance, there is never an obstruction to your vision, it is a continuum (of space), that I believe 20th century man's eye and senses responds positively to that, we crave this". Again referring to Rose Seidler House plan, "(there are) planes of interacting solid walls and glass walls – solids and voids follow each other around, generating flows of space between them". Seidler also explains same principle for three-dimensional spatial arrangement as highly influenced by Theo van Doesburg 's painting Space-time construction #3 (1923) in which there
6336-407: The eye. which is seen in the window pattern of Seidler's Blues Point Tower (1958–62) and three-dimensionally in the syncopated balcony arrangement of this Horizon Tower (1995–98). Seidler articulated the visual-spatial design principle of modern architecture being "dissolution of conventional solidity" and inter-connecting spatial vistas. Seidler said the visual essence of modern architecture was "not
6435-536: The first Australian to be elected a member of the Académie d'architecture , Paris and in 1987 was made a Companion of the Order of Australia , an honour which he accepted in his trademark suit and bowtie. Over the years Mr Seidler was also awarded five Sulman Medals by the Royal Australian Institute of Architects , as well as the Royal Australian Institute of Architects Gold Medal in 1976, and
6534-489: The general division). Advocacy groups such as Honour a Woman and the Workplace Gender Equality Agency have called for greater effort to be made to reach equal representation of men and women in the order. In December 2010, The Age reported a study of the educational backgrounds of all people who had received Knight/Dame and Companion level awards at that time. It reported: "An analysis of
6633-683: The governments of each respective state and territory, and three ex officio members (the chief of the Defence Force , the vice-president of the Federal Executive Council and a public servant responsible for honours policy). The Council chair as of August 2024 is Shelley Reys. The Council makes recommendations to the governor-general. Awards are announced on Australia Day and on the King's Birthday public holiday in June, on
6732-586: The governor-general to remove an individual from the order, who may cancel an award. Announcements of all awards, cancellations and resignations appear in the Commonwealth Gazette . Nomination forms are confidential and not covered by the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth) . The reasoning behind a nomination being successful or unsuccessful—and even the attendees of the meetings where such nominations are discussed—remains confidential. As
6831-658: The house was finished. The house became known as the Rose Seidler House (1948–1950), in Wahroonga , in remote bushland of a suburb on Sydney's Upper North Shore. This project was the first completely modern domestic residence to fully express the philosophy and visual language of the Bauhaus in Australia and won the Sulman Award of 1951. From the huge publicity of this house, others approached Seidler to design their homes. With so many clients and his enjoyment of
6930-441: The intensity of the Australian sun". Thus, later in his career, he sought to use more thermally stable materials like reinforced concrete and to respond to the Australian climate by the extensive use of sunshades and flamboyantly-shaped rain protecting canopies on his skyscrapers, (such as Grosvenor Place, Riverside Centre, and QV1), large covered balconies in his houses, as well as shaping his designs to maximize views and enjoyment of
7029-666: The largest Aircrete market globally, with several hundred manufacturing plants. The most significant AAC production and consumption occur in China, Central Asia, India, and the Middle East, reflecting the dynamic growth and demand in these regions. Like other masonry materials, the product Aircrete is sold under many different brand names. Ytong and Hebel are brands of the international operating company Xella, headquartered in Duisburg. Other more internationally renowned brand names in Europe are H+H Celcon (Denmark) and Solbet (Poland). AAC
7128-538: The material and are under review, but no other closures were anticipated at the time of the Science Centre closure. The high resource efficiency of autoclaved aerated concrete contributes to a lower environmental impact than conventional concrete, from raw material processing to the disposal of aerated concrete waste. Due to continuous improvements in efficiency, the production of aerated concrete blocks requires relatively little raw materials per m of product and
7227-405: The mid 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Upon celebrating 50 years of architectural practice in Australia, Seidler noted that developments in building technology allowed for more richness of form in his then soon-to-be completed Horizon apartment tower: "I could not have built Horizon twenty years ago...in earlier building technology (the way one could) span distances, it was very limited. (But Horizon)
7326-587: The most important of the collaborators was his mentor Albers. Seidler included works by Albers – perhaps the single person most influential on his design philosophy – in a number of projects (notably the MLC Centre with 'Homage to the Square' (later repurchased by the Albers Foundation, and Albers' last commissioned-design 'Wrestling' on the eastern side of MLC Plaza). Seidler also arranged in 1966 for
7425-417: The occasion of a special announcement by the governor-general (usually honorary awards), and on the appointment of a new governor-general. The governor-general presents the order's insignia to new appointees. Appointments to the order may be made posthumously as long as a person was nominated for an award whilst they were still alive. Awardees may subsequently resign from the order, and the Council may advise
7524-674: The order at all levels. Nomination forms are submitted to the Director, Honours Secretariat, a position within the Office of the Official Secretary to the Governor-General of Australia , at Government House, Canberra , which are then forwarded to the Council for the Order of Australia . The council consists of 19 members: seven selected by the prime minister (described as "community representatives"), eight appointed by
7623-407: The order in descending order of seniority are: Honorary awards at all levels may be made to non-citizens. These awards are made additional to the quotas. The order's insignia was designed by Stuart Devlin . The badge of the Order of Australia is a convex disc (gold for AKs, ADs and ACs, gilt for AOs, AMs and OAMs) representing a single flower of mimosa . At the centre is a ring, representing
7722-416: The order is royal blue with a central stripe of mimosa blossoms. Awards in the military division are edged with 1.5 mm golden bands. AKs, male ACs and AOs wear their badges on a necklet and male AMs and OAMs wear them on a ribbon on the left chest. Women usually wear their badges on a bow on the left shoulder, although they may wear the same insignia as males if so desired. A gold lapel pin for daily wear
7821-468: The outdoors from inside. Seidler was a frequent and enthusiastic collaborator with visual artists in the creation of his buildings. While his artist collaborators include famous or notable figures such as Alexander Calder , Frank Stella , Lin Utzon , Norman Carlberg , Charles O. Perry (the last two were fellow but later student of Josef Albers ), Helen Frankenthaler , Sol LeWitt and many others, by far
7920-457: The outgoing governor-general , Quentin Bryce ; her successor, Peter Cosgrove ; a recent chief of the Defence Force , Angus Houston ; a recent governor of New South Wales , Marie Bashir ; and Prince Philip . This last award was widely met with ridicule and dismay by many in the Australian media. The award was also heavily criticised in the community, with 72% disapproving and 12% in favour of
8019-508: The planning system in Sydney. Seidler was born in Vienna, the son of a Jewish clothing manufacturer. While a teenager he fled to England soon after Nazi Germany occupied Austria in 1938. In England, he studied building and construction at Cambridgeshire Technical School. Even though he was categorised by British wartime tribunal as a "Category C – no risk" refugee fleeing the Nazis, because he
8118-483: The ponderous solidity of traditional architecture where everything was built to four walls around a room and spaces that were finite. But rather our eyes seek transparency, lightness... being able to look through things". He said of his first work, the Rose Seidler House. "This house explodes the surfaces that enclose a normal house or space, and turns it into a continuum of free standing planes, through which
8217-681: The prime minister alone, rather than by the Council of the Order of Australia, as is the case with all lower levels of the order. In accordance with the statutes of 2014, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh , was created a Knight of the Order by letters patent signed by the Queen on 7 January 2015, on Abbott's advice. Prince Philip's knighthood was announced as part of the Australia Day Honours on 26 January 2015 and his appointment attracted criticism of what Abbott described as his "captain's call". Abbott responded by announcing that future recommendations for appointments as Knights and Dames of
8316-431: The recommendation of appointments, other than for military and honorary awards. The King of Australia is the sovereign head of the order, and the governor-general is the principal companion and chancellor of the order. The governor-general's official secretary , Paul Singer (appointed August 2018), is secretary of the order. The order is divided into a general and a military division. The five levels of appointment to
8415-463: The relatively low temperature used, AAC blocks are not considered to be a fired brick but a lightweight concrete masonry unit . After the autoclaving process, the material is stored and shipped to construction sites for use. Depending on its density , up to 80% of the volume of an AAC block is air. AAC's low density also accounts for its low structural compression strength. It can carry loads of up to 8,000 kPa (1,200 psi), approximately 50% of
8514-567: The sea, with the word Australia below two branches of mimosa. The whole disc is topped by the Crown of St Edward . The AC badge is decorated with citrines , blue enamelled ring, and enamelled crown. The AO badge is similar, without the citrines. For the AM badge, only the crown is enamelled, and the OAM badge is plain. The AK/AD badge is similar to that of the AC badge, but with the difference that it contains at
8613-416: The steam curing takes place at relatively low temperatures and the hot steam generated in the autoclaves is reused for subsequent batches. AAC has been produced for more than 70 years and has several advantages over other cement construction materials, one of the most important being its lower environmental impact. AAC has been produced for more than 70 years. However, some disadvantages were found when it
8712-584: The time, the Australia Square tower was the world's tallest light weight concrete building. The design introduced the concept of a large public open plaza and prominent artworks to office towers in Australia. In 1966, he helped lead the protests to try to keep Jørn Utzon as the principal architect of the Sydney Opera House . He was a founding member of the Australian Architecture Association . In 1984 he became
8811-781: The university winter (Christmas) inter-semester approximate four weeks break Seidler worked with Alvar Aalto in Boston drawing up plans for the Baker dormitory at MIT. He then studied visual aesthetics at Black Mountain College under the painter Josef Albers in mid 1946 for the US summer. Seidler then worked as the first ever assistant to Marcel Breuer in New York from late 1946 until March 1948. For almost 2 months from shortly after 20 April to early June 1948, Seidler also worked in Rio de Janeiro with
8910-420: The visual expression of his designs constantly evolved throughout his 57 years of designing in Australia. The form of Seidler's work changed as building technology changed: from his timber houses in the 1950s (many of which echoed Breuer's bi-nuclear house form), to reinforced concrete houses and buildings in the 1960–1980s, and the development of curves (in plan shapes) with advances in concrete technology in
9009-559: Was a misnomer and so he objected to the term being used to describe modern architecture or his own architectural designs – as both changed over time as social use and building technology developed. Seidler insisted that Modernism was not a style but was in constant flux. Seidler would explain that Le Corbusier's 1920s modern architecture had columns placed 6 metres apart, whereas by mid-1980s pre-stressed concrete technology allowed 34 metre column-free space, resulting in different visual expression and openness in architecture. Seidler's work shows
9108-698: Was born in Austria, on 12 May 1940, he was interned by the British authorities as an enemy alien , where he was in internment camps first at Huyton near Liverpool, then on the Isle of Man before being shipped to Quebec , Canada and continued to be interned until October 1941, when he was released on probational release from internment to study architecture at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg , where he graduated with first class honours in 1944. After working briefly for an architectural firm in Toronto, Seidler (at
9207-447: Was created by an amendment to the constitution of the Order of Australia by special letters patent signed by the Queen, on the recommendation of Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser . In March 2014 the knight and dame levels, which had been abolished in 1986 by Prime Minister Bob Hawke , were reintroduced to the Order of Australia by Tony Abbott . At the same time, Abbott announced that future appointments at this level would be recommended by
9306-576: Was established in Sweden in 1939, and presently licenses and owns plants in 35 locations around the world. Josef Hebel of Memmingen established another cellular concrete brand, Hebel, which opened their first plant in Germany in 1943. Ytong AAC was originally produced in Sweden using alum shale , which contained combustible carbon beneficial to the production process. However, these deposits were found to contain natural uranium , which decays over time to radon , which then accumulates in structures where
9405-498: Was established on 14 February 1975 by letters patent of Queen Elizabeth II , acting as Queen of Australia , and on the advice of the newly elected Labor prime minister , Gough Whitlam . The original order had three levels: Companion (AC), Officer (AO) and Member (AM) as well as two divisions: Civil Division and Military Division. Whitlam had previously announced in 1972 (on his third day in office) that his government would no longer nominate persons for British Imperial honours (with
9504-482: Was first created in the mid-1920s by the Swedish architect and inventor Dr. Johan Axel Eriksson (1888–1961), along with Professor Henrik Kreüger at the Royal Institute of Technology . The process was patented in 1924. In 1929, production started in Sweden in the city of Yxhult . "Yxhults Ånghärdade Gasbetong" later became the first registered building materials brand in the world : Ytong. Another brand, "Siporex",
9603-526: Was not a style ""You know there's a great misconception about that modernism is a style. It isn't. It is a methodology of approach, that is in constant flux, constant change." Seidler's designs upheld a Modernist design methodology, which he considered to be an amalgam of three elements: social use, efficient building construction methods and visual aesthetics. As these three elements were in constantly changing, Seidler always insisted that he had no fixed 'style', and so as building technology and social use changed,
9702-636: Was unable to do so because he had been a naturalised Canadian who had not lived in Canada for more than three years). He became an Australian citizen in late 1958 so he would have a passport to travel for work and his honeymoon. Harry Seidler married Penelope Evatt , daughter of Clive Evatt on 15 December 1958; they had two children. Seidler enjoyed photographing architecture around the world and some of these are documented in his photography book The Grand Tour . He also enjoyed skiing. Penelope Seidler, herself an architect, gained her Bachelor of Architecture from
9801-500: Was used in construction in Europe, in buildings constructed after the mid-1950s. RAAC elements have also been used in Japan as walling units owing to their good behaviour in seismic conditions. RAAC has been shown to have limited structural reinforcement bar ( rebar ) integrity in 40 to 50 year-old RAAC roof panels, which began to be observed in the 1990s. The material is liable to fail without visible deterioration or warning. This
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